Dominoes continue to fall: Hiram Eugene cut in Oakland

The cuts are coming fast and furious now out of Oakland as the team has announced they have cut safety Hiram Eugene for a failed physical. He was had a badly dislocated hip in camp last season that placed him on injured reserve for the season. And apparently he is not back to full strength yet.

The Raiders may list it as a failed physical but it is more than that. Eugene was by far the highest paid special teams player in the NFL. At $2.5 million, he was paid more than twice as much as any other of the top special teams players. That $2.5 million is far better spent elsewhere.

He becomes the third defensive back to be cut from the Raiders this offseason. Cornerback Chris Johnson was also released today along with his $3.5 million cap hit. Last month it was Stanford Routt went last month to avoid a $5 million roster bonus from kicking in.

The team did, however, hold onto safety Michael Huff by extending and restructuring his contract. The team also placed the franchise tag on strong safety Tyvon Branch. He hasn't signed the tender yet as the teams attempts to lock him down long term.

This shows that the team is not looking to completely overhaul the Raiders secondary. Just cut away those big contracts and underperforming players.

This move puts the Raiders approximately $5.5 million under the projected 2012 salary cap of $120 million.

Stay tuned, more moves to come. Next cut: John Henderson.

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